Rare parade of planets to align in night sky, NASA says 26.02.2026

Stargazers can anticipate a rare celestial event on Saturday when six planets—Mercury, Venus, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus, and Jupiter—will align in the night sky, as announced by NASA. This planetary parade will be best observed shortly after sunset, with astronomers recommending a view toward the western horizon approximately 30 minutes post-sunset for the highest chance of spotting at least three planets. While Mercury and Venus will be the lowest and set soon after the sun, Saturn and Neptune will appear just above them, and Jupiter and Uranus will be higher in the western sky. Optical assistance like binoculars or telescopes will be necessary for viewing Uranus and Neptune, but the other four planets will be visible to the naked eye. This alignment occurs because planets orbit the sun on the same plane, the ecliptic, and such events happen every few years, with the last notable alignment occurring in August 2025.














